Outgunned but defiant, Ukrainian twin cities' defenders ready for Russian attack

A local resident walks in front of an apartment building destroyed in a military strike, in Kramatorsk, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine July 7, 2022. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

KRAMATORSK/SLOVIANSK, Ukraine (Reuters) - In the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, mechanic-turned-soldier Artchk helps shore up defences against imminent Russian attack while, nearby, farmer Vasyl Avramenko laments the loss of crops supplanted by mines.

Shells are raining down steadily on Kramatorsk and its twin, Sloviansk, and they are poised to become the next frontline in Moscow's offensive in the heavily industrialised Donbas.